OPINION: The outpouring of sympathy tells Ted Kennedy’s story

We all know plenty of people who cannot understand why there has been such an outpouring of sadness and grief over the death of 77-year-old Ted Kennedy.

Pointing out he was “only” a senator, some people are complaining about what the motorcades, funeral processions and extensive security will cost our bankrupt state.

There’s even been some grousing about state highway department electric signs having messages from “the people of Massachusetts” thanking Kennedy for all he’s done.

“Hey, I'm a person from Massachusetts and I didn’t authorize the highway crews to put up those messages,” a few Kennedy detractors, who think he was too liberal or have issues with some of his personal history, say.

How do you make them understand why Kennedy does matter to so many people? In their obsession with focusing only on Kennedy’s most negative moments, they are unable to recognize how many people he reached out to and impacted in a positive way.

Think about it.

Can you name one elected official, on a state or national level, whose death would trigger such sadness and this level of admiration?

On Wednesday, thousands of people pulled over on the sides of Route 6 and Route 3, waving, as Kennedy’s hearse went by, with tears in their eyes.

Politically, we have not seen that kind of sad, emotional response to a public figure’s death since the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King.

Franklin Roosevelt’s death in 1945 triggered similar reactions. Sobbing people stood along the railroad tracks out of respect and affection for FDR when the train brought his casket back to Washington D.C. from Warm Springs, Ga.

There is a connection between these deceased leaders. All of them projected a genuine concern for protecting the rights and improving the living standards of the people they served. They were idealistic and passionate. All of them had dreams and believed that nothing was impossible. They were risk takers. This is in stark contrast to most elected officials, who are little more than political bureaucrats following the safest path and doing what’s best for themselves. When a proposal is made, they try to figure out why it won’t work.

Kennedy obviously cared a great deal about people. All the touching stories from families he quietly helped over the years — relating to illnesses, military situations and financial hardships — are staggering. Kennedy and his staff were notorious for being responsive and following things up with a personal touch.

It’s apparent voters respected Kennedy’s guts when it come to key issues. In contrast to many of his tap-dancing colleagues, he recognized right away the mistake George W. Bush made going to war in Iraq. And he had the nerve to stand up and challenge Donald Rumsfeld, George W. Bush’s arrogant and incompetent secretary of defense.

Kennedy was also praised for being a brilliant negotiator and person who could bring opposing sides together, finding common ground. It’s obvious the risk of a stalemate in Congress over healthcare reform would have been diminished if Kennedy had been well enough to participate in hearings this summer.

Conservatives and moderates could accuse Ted Kennedy of being too far to the left and advocating too much power vested in the federal government,

But the one thing they could never question were his motives. He was committed to making things better for people and he believed government programs could help make it all possible.

Perhaps if there were more Ted Kennedys, concerned with humanitarian principles and not personal gain, to oversee these efforts, there wouldn’t be such a legitimate question of the government being able to run social programs.

David Maril, an Enterprise copy editor, can be reached at dmaril@enterprisenews.com